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Metallic copper surfaces kill bacteria on contact

Metallic copper surfaces kill microbes on contact, decimating their populations, according to a paper in the February 2011 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. They do so literally in minutes, by causing massive membrane damage after about a minute's exposure, says the study's corresponding author, Gregor Grass of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. This is the first study to demonstrate this mechanism of bacteriocide.

17 Feb 2011

Green on satellite images warns of hantavirus outbreaks

The risk of deadly hantavirus outbreaks in people can be predicted months ahead of time by using satellite images to monitor surges in vegetation that boost mouse populations, a University of Utah study says. The method also might forecast outbreaks of other rodent-borne illnesses worldwide.

15 Feb 2011

New York Times examines factors contributing to presence of 'exotic' infectious diseases in New York City

"When New York City's health department revealed last weekend that three people had contracted cholera, it was a reminder that the city is not just a world capital of arts, business and the like - but also of exotic diseases," the New York Times writes in an article that explores how diseases from around the world often make their way to the city through its diverse population of travelers.

14 Feb 2011

Opinions: Polio vaccines; Alternatives to DDT, insecticides; Food price volatility; Global poverty; Foreign aid for vaccines

"No one denies" that the oral polio vaccine "has considerable merits. It's cheap to make. It's easy to administer; you don't need a trained nurse with a clean syringe [like the inactive vaccine needs], just a volunteer with a dropper. And it gives excellent immunity. ... But there are problems with the method," Wendy Orent, author of the book Plague: The Mysterious Past and Terrifying Future of the World's Most Dangerous Disease, writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece.

10 Feb 2011

New facilities for developing imaging tests in PESA CNIC-Santander study inaugurated

Felipe P-triz, Secretary of State for Research and Emilio Bot-n, president of Banco Santander have inaugurated today in Banco Santander Finantial City (located in Boadilla del Monte) the new facilities for developing the first imaging tests included in PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) CNIC-Santander study.

8 Feb 2011

Abbott's Ibis, PLEX-ID technologies identify causative organism of plague in Afghanistan

Today, at the American Society for Microbiology Conference on Biodefense and Emerging Diseases, scientists from Abbott Molecular presented data showing the unique power of the company's Ibis technology to identify and further characterize unknown disease-causing pathogens to help aid in the bioforensic analysis of pandemic outbreaks.

8 Feb 2011

Doctors of Optometry troubled by disregard for vision and eye health needs of children

The American Optometric Association, the voice of America's family eye doctors, today warned that if a set of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations are adopted as policy, significant harm will be caused to the ongoing efforts of eye doctors nationwide to reverse the high rates of preventable vision loss in children across America, from the first year of life through age 5.

5 Feb 2011

Dermatologists urge athletes to be aware of most common skin infections

Team sports have a long history of fostering cooperation, camaraderie and a healthy competitive spirit among athletes. But the closeness that brings athletes together also can create an environment for a host of contagious skin infections. Now, dermatologists are urging teammates and coaches to be aware of the most common skin conditions caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi that occur in athletes and educating them on how to prevent a widespread outbreak.

5 Feb 2011

Natural menopause remedies containing chromium picolinate prevent weight gain

Natural menopause cures can help a woman with weight gain that can occur during menopause. The changes that are going on inside a woman's body can cause weight gain, especially around the hips, stomach and thighs. Natural menopause remedies that contain chromium picolinate have been beneficial in helping women to avoid this weight gain during menopause.

4 Feb 2011

Scientist receives grant for research on parasitic diseases through African biodiversity medicines

McGill University and McGill University scientist Dr. Timothy Geary received a $1-million grant today for landmark research into addressing parasitic diseases through medicines derived from African biodiversity.

25 Jan 2011

Hologic announces acquisition of Interlace Medical

Hologic, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, announced today it has acquired Interlace Medical, Inc. (Interlace), the developer and manufacturer of the MyoSure hysteroscopic tissue removal system (MyoSure). Interlace's operations will be integrated within Hologic's GYN Surgical Products division.

From Hologic, Inc. 7 Jan 2011

Isis Pharmaceuticals announces addition of two new drugs to development pipeline

Isis Pharmaceuticals, announced today that it has added two new drugs to its development pipeline, ISIS-FGFR4Rx and ISIS-STAT3Rx.

7 Jan 2011

Alzheimer's Association applauds President Obama for signing National Alzheimer's Project Act into law

As the leading care, research and advocacy organization for Alzheimer's disease, the Alzheimer's Association® applauds President Obama for signing the National Alzheimer's Project Act(NAPA) into law. NAPA creates for the first time a coordinated national strategy to confront one of America's most feared and costly diseases, a disease that will only plague more baby boomers as they age.

5 Jan 2011

Lancet editorial highlights similarities between current health challenges, those from 1911

"After a century of progress, the issues that medicine must tackle in the coming year aren't that different from the ones that faced doctors at the start of 1911, according to the observations" published Jan. 1 in a Lancet editorial, LiveScience reports (Parry, 12/30).

4 Jan 2011

Molecular interaction between structural HCV protein and protein critical to viral replication identified

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a molecular interaction between a structural hepatitis C virus protein (HCV) and a protein critical to viral replication. This new finding strongly suggests a novel method of inhibiting the production of the virus and a potential new therapeutic target for hepatitis C drug development.

29 Dec 2010

Over 36,000 people visit interactive infection research exhibition in 2010

The travelling exhibition organised by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), "Humans and Microbes - Robert Koch's Legacy and Modern Infection Research", has already proved to be a visitor magnet during its very first year. In total, the interactive exhibition attracted more than 36,000 visitors at its three ports of call (Berlin, Bonn and Würzburg), including 400 school classes.

23 Dec 2010

Texas' problem with prescription drug abuse; Vermont's plans for single payer

University of California regents approved controversial rollbacks in pension and retiree health benefits Monday, including raising the earliest retirement age for future employees to 55, to help plug huge financial gaps in the university's plans (Gordon, 12/14).

15 Dec 2010

Medicaid budget challenges continue to plague states, threaten safety net

States across the country continue to face challenges related to their Medicaid budgets and their abilities to provide care to a growing population of poor and disabled people.

15 Dec 2010

News outlets report on polio outbreaks in Central, East Africa

"Bad immunisation strategy has been blamed for an outbreak of polio, which has killed nearly 200 and is believed to have caused paralysis in more than 2,000 others across Angola, Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," the Mail & Guardian writes in a story examining the emergence of the disease in the three countries and efforts to control it.

10 Dec 2010

Scientists determine 500 three-dimensional protein structures from bacterial and protozoan pathogens

Scientists at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have reached a major milestone in the effort to wipe out some of the most lethal diseases on the planet.

9 Dec 2010